Picante Pinapple Salsa – CAAPOW! August 5, 2008

Holy heat Batman! Inspired by various leftovers from a fruitful farmers market and subsequent grill-fest, this salsa will blow you away. I used it as a topping for a main and as a heavenly dipper for some organic corn nachos. One of the tastiest bowl fillers I’ve made to date (and a big kudos to my sous chef for this one too). Gets even better by day two.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 fresh pineapple – chopped and grilled

1 med jalapeño pepper – finely chopped

1/2 large red onion – chopped

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

a handful cilantro – finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1) Remove tough skin from pineapple, and chop into slices, and cover lightly with olive oil.

2) Grill slices on BBQ or indoor grill, until grill marks appear on both sides (about 7-8 min total).

3) When cooled, chop pineapple slices into small chunks, and place in large bowl.

4) Seed jalapeño, keeping 1/2 the seeds, and chop along with onion, into tiny chunks, and add to pineapple.

Note – Some like it hot! Some not so much. So, to turn up the heat, add more seeds. To turn it down, use less or no seeds at all.

5) Chop cilantro, and add to mixture, along with jalapeño seeds, lime juice and salt and pepper, and combine.

6) Cover and chill slightly in fridge until ready to use (stir again just prior to serving).

NOTES:

– goes great on top of tacos or quesidillas

– use as topping for freshly grilled fish or pork

– fill pitas with salsa along with other freshly grilled veggies

– to serve salsa in the pineapple skin, cut whole pineapple in half, and scoop out bottom half, leaving about 1 cm for the sides.

Cupped Huevos Rancheros July 10, 2008

This version of “huevos rancheros,” which is a classic Mexican dish of fried tortillas and eggs), features cute tortilla-shaped cups filled with eggs and beans. So good for a nice brunch, or even a dinner with friends (make sure you serve with beer margaritas then). I am obsessed with Mexican food and drink, so any time I can incorporate a Mexican element into my days, I will. Even if it just means snuggling with my little chihuahua!

INGREDIENTS:

8 (5-inch) corn tortillas

Canola oil spray

1 (15-ounce) can re-fried beans (Eden organic makes the best!)

8 large eggs (just try the free-range organic kind – you’ll never go back to the scary ones afterwards)

1/2 cup salsa (try making your own!)

1/4 cup cheddar or very sharp cheese, crumbled or grated

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, sliced thinly

DIRECTIONS:

1] Preheat oven to 350°F and oil a 12 cup muffin pan.

2] Heat corn tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 15-20 seconds on each side, just until they are soft and pliable.

3] Spray each warm tortilla with canola oil on both sides, and press/fold each tortilla into a muffin cup.

4] Place a small ball of foil in the centre (or an extra small creme brule ramekin) to hold in sides of tortillas and bake 5 min.

5] Remove foil and add 2 tbsp of re-fried beans to each tortilla cup, pressing down into bottom of cup.

6] Make a small divot in middle of re-fried beans and carefully crack an egg into each.

7] Bake in middle of the oven until whites are just set, about 15 min.

8] Remove from oven, cool slightly, and remove cups from the muffin pan carefully (easiest to use 2 spoons or tongs).

9] Top with a spoonful of salsa and sprinkle with cheese, cilantro, avocado and serve immediately.

Bean-free buritto February 13, 2008

I love Mexican food, especially burittos, but sometimes I like to have a day sans beans. Here’s a deeeeelish recipe that I threw together last night to satisfy my craving for a little ole! It’s very similar to a heurvos rancheros, but you can skip the egg if you want, and could even add a little cheddar cheese to make it oooey-gooey.

Ingredients:
Tortillas – 1 or 2 per person (I found a tasty jalepeno and corn variety recently – yum!)
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
5-6 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium zuchinni, chopped
1 eggplant, sliced in 1cm rounds
1/2 pint fresh grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup salsa
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp italian herb mix
salt and peper to taste
1 egg per tortilla, scrambled (this is optional)

Directions:
1) In a large sauce pan, saute onions, mushrooms, garlic, zuchinni in a bit of olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 min until onions are transparent.
2) Add tomatoes and herbs and continue cooking for another few minutes (tomatoes will slightly wrinkle).
3) Meanwhile, grill eggplant on BBQ or indoor grill until cooked (about 5 minutes), but not mushy.
4) Chop the cooked eggplant and add into sauce pan, along with salsa, kethcup , hot sauce and salt/pepper.
5) Cook till combined and heated through completely.
6) Turn toaster oven to ‘TOAST’ setting.
7) Lay scrambled egg onto tortilla, and add a few tbsp of veggie mixture on top.
8] Roll into burritto, and cook in toaster oven for 5-10 min (until desired crispy-ness).
9) Serve hot, with guacamole or sour cream on the side.

Salsa a la Mango! January 19, 2008

Salsa, any salsa, is a super easy homemade treat. Yes, the jarred and deli bought versions can be convenient and tasty, but once you get the hang and hankering for making your own versions, the store-bought will just no suffice. I really like this fresh take on salsa – it goes really well with corn chips, over rice, over a simple salad, and even on fajitas. This batch will make about 2 cups or so. Ole!

Ingredients:
1 small red jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and minced (leave a few seeds in if you want to crank up the ‘heat’ factor)
Juice of 1 large lime
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper (white is you have it, but black is fine)
1/4 cup minced red onion (white onions will suffice, but red is definitely best)
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

Directions:
1) In medium bowl, mix all ingredients.
2) Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend (a few hours is even better if you have the time).
3) Serve and impress!

This will keep for a few days in the fridge, but doesn’t really freeze well at all (but you wont have any left over to freeze so it’s not a worry).